Post Oil Solutions

 Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Present:

Jane

Johnny Lenhart

Walter

Dora

Tim

Sherry

Chandra

Deb

1. Welcome & Introductions

2. Quiet Moment

3. Sharing & Announcements (see agenda for full list)

  • (Correction) Sun Aug 17: POS Root Cellar Workshop , 1:00, Moonlight Lane, W. Bratt; $5/$10 sliding scale, no one refused; pre-registration required (869-2141)
  • Community Garden Tag Sale this fall – keep stuff you’re thinking of throwing out and the Garden folks will collect it.

4. Other Announcements

  • Tim will drop off copies of a 40 page ‘Transition Town’ document at the Co Op for each member of the LC to pick up and read at their leisure. There are two trainers now in the States and there’s potential for trainings and presentations here in Brattleboro – discussion to take place at September meeting.
  • Big Thanks to all the LC Members for being such a fantastic, working leadership body!!

5. Discussions

    (A) Agenda Review

    (B) Tim's Monthly Report (LC members please bring report to mtg)

     (C)  Updates

  • George would like to find a way to do a lending library with POS. He’ll research it and speak again at the September meeting.

 

    1. 26 Sept Simba Benefit Dance – Dummerston Grange

  • $10 tickets "suggested donation" – tickets could be sold at downtown stores, Townsend Market, BAFM with the Localvores, at SIT etc.
  • Help is being asked for in terms of working that night, baking, getting donations, etc. Sign up sheet sent around, contact Jane for more info.
  • Special events insurance has come through at $400.00 for 5 events.

    2. Food Security Project (FSP)

  • Summer pilot projects at SIT, Picadilly Farm, Mountain Mowings & Townshend Commons Farmers' Market: all is going well and figures are being kept as to amounts of our donations to the Drop In Center.
  • Proposal to join the Community Food Security Coalition,
    • www.foodsecurity.org Membership costs $50.00 and includes a 20% discount on publications, discounted entrance on conferences, and connection to organizations nationwide working on similar projects. LC will look over the website and decide.
  • Americorps Vista volunteers (Liz, Angela and Richard) and Tim will be meeting the last weekend in August to solidify goals, responsibilities and the specifics of the Food Security Project. Weekend will come to an end with a big Post Oil potluck so that our plan can become clear to the LC. Location proposal is Slug’s Amazing Planet. Details TBA.
  • Americorps Vista Volunteers will now be known as Food Security Project Organizers.

    3.  Carbon Diet Project  - Walter, Janet and Melissa absent – postponed until September meeting.

   4.  Peak Moments on BCTV

  • local sponsor/paperwork
    • – Dora will be the local sponsor.
  • Intro promo needs to be worked out – perhaps a different person from POS each time.
  • Will work out to be about 2 episodes a month and each episode will be screened 3 times. The schedule could be found on BCTV website, i-brattleboro, etc. once its set.

    5. Pliney Park – Dora will be making another plea for plants, though she still has some stuff to plant. Subject will be breached with Carol as to whether "Post Oil" sign will be put there.

    6. Townshend Commons Farmers' Market – Market doing well, still getting new vendors! Come on down!

   

    (D) Continuing Discussion

  • 501©3 – application is in the mail!! We should hear from them in about a months time, perhaps with more questions they would like answered.
  1. Fall 2008/09 Forums (see agenda)

            December (TBA), 2nd Annual Community Celebration – possibly a potluck/dance to be held downtown in Brattleboro? Chandra is working on it and is looking into music, for the first or second Friday in December.

George raised issue of moving celebration to October next year to have it coincide with harvest and to not have a forum in December because December is so hectic.

  • Ideas & Suggestions for 2009
    • Transition Town (this fall or January)
    • "The Dangerous Elders" – Elders as valued mentors.
    • Ben Carr and do-it-yourself for forums or workshops.
    • Mark Morey and tool repair.
    • Idea brought by Chandra – post-workshop groups to organize people to keep doing these workshop-esque thing together, to keep canning together.
    • Mentoring system for gardeners – possibility for Master Gardeners Program

    (E) Added Items

(1) Concern with the Co-Ops lack of initiative around Local Food. Dora brought concern to table hoping to create a group to help "push" co-op back in right direction.

  • Eat Local Campaign group disbanded.
  • Lots of talk and no delivery. Seems to be a lack of real commitment to local food here in Brattleboro.
  • Possibility of looking into interest around a Farmers Store – owned and run by farmers.
(2) George – VEI Menu for the Future Course
  • Transform this from not only "learning" but "doing" – perhaps getting involved in FSP, or providing other ways to be proactive. Also possiblitiy of making the course shorter (3 weeks) and then having guest speakers/field trips for the other 3 weeks.